Amusement device



E. e. G OLLNER. AIVIUSEMENT DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED APILI I9I9.

1 ,33.2, ,174.` Patented Feb. 24, 1920.

'UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEioE.

ERVIN Gr. GOLLNER, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y;

AMUSEMENT DEVICE.

Application filed April 7, 1913.

To all Awhom t may con cef/"a:

Be it known that I, .ElwinT G. GOLLNER, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and,

State of N ew York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Amusement Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to amusement `apparatus of the class designed for use at amusement resorts and has for its primary object the provision of a passenger car in the form of a body, a smooth surfaced metallic support being employed whereby' the cai' may be propelled in many di'erent radial directions while gyrating so that considerable amusement and pleasure will be afforded the occupants and spectators.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a movably mounted car having a surface formed thereon with which a novel form of driving mechanism co-acts so as to cause innumerable radial movements to be transmitted to the car while simultaneously revolving the latter.

lVith the above and other objects in view which will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the improved construction and lnovel arrangements of parts which will hereinafter be fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings has been illustrated, a single and preferred form of the invention, it being, however, understood that no limitations are necessarily made to the precise structural details therein eX- hibited, but that changes, alterations and modifications within the scope ofthe claims may be resorted to when desired. j

Figure 1 is a plan view of the apparatus.

Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side View of the apparatus.

Fig. 4c is a section on line 4-4 of'Fig. 2.

In carrying the invention into practice, use is made of a metallic platform 0r supporting surface 5, the upper part of which is smooth and arranged in the same horizontal plane throughout.

Extending through the center of the platform 5 is a power transmitting shaft 6 which may be driven in any suitable well known manner. Under the platform and secured thereto is a bracket 7 having interiorly disposed radial lugs 8 alined with similar ra- Spciication of Letters Patent.

Patentedineb. '24., 1920.

Serial No. 288,228.

dial lugs 9 ona sleeve 10 which embraces the shaft. A locking collar 11 on the shaft operates to hold the wheel-against vertical sliding movement on the shaft. Cushioning springs 12 extend'between the lugsf 8 and 9 so that lateral vibrations ofthe shaft may be satisfactorily.absorbed for a purpose to be hereinafter explained.

The occupant supporting car consists of a body 13 simulating a Uboat, said body having casters or suitable anti-friction elements la adapted to freely travel overfthe upper smooth surface of the platform 5.

Said boat-like body is provided with occupant seats 15 and radial fixed or rigid arms 16, the latter having operative connection with side baskets 17 adapted also `to accommodate passengers.

The under side of theboat like car is provided with an oval shaped rail 18 having a rack surface `19. The power transmitting shaft 6 is provided with a star wheel or gear 20 'adapted to travel against the inner face of saidrail 1S and co-act with the rack surface thereof so that the car willl be revolved when power is supplied to the `driven shaft. In order to hold'the star wheel or gear 20 in operative co-acting relation with. the. rack surface 19, I provide a confining member 21 in the'form of a wheel adapted to engage against the` outer face of the rail 18 at a point preferably below the rack surface 19. A carrier 22 is freely revoluble on the shaft at a point above-the platform 5 and as illustrated the. confining wheel 21 is connected with said carrier by a suitable supporting pin 23. vThe carrier is also slidably .con nected with the `driven shaft 6 so that the confining wheel 21 will always adapt itself to the contour of the outer surface of the rail 18. In other words, the construction described permits of sufficient lateral variations in the position of the confining wheel due to its described configuration, substantially -constitutes a cam.

From the construction described it will be seen that no defined or regular courses are formed upon the upper smooth surface of the platform 5.

When motion is supplied to the driving shaft 6 of the apparatus the star wheel or gear 20 will operate with the rack surface 19 of the car 13 and incident to the confinement of said vrack surface against the Wheel 20, the car Will describe innumerable undefined courses upon the u per surface of the supporting platform 5. bimultaneously With the describing of undefined radial movements of the car as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, the driving shaft 6 and its geared connections with the rack surface 19, operate to revolve the car upon said platform 5. In this manner many peculiar effects and sensations are created when the car is in motion which therefore materially add to the amusement and enjoyment of the occupants.

I do not Wish to limit myself to any particular configuration of the rack surface 19 but desire to particularly emphasize the necessity of the interposing of such surface between an idle confining element such as the one shown at 2l and a driving element substantially of the character described at 20. It will be observed that no complications of construction are present in the niceties of the arrangement herein illustrated, The vibratory movements of the shaft G are effectually absorbed by the springs 12 underlying the platform 5. By extending the rigid side arms 16 from the car body, the baskets 17, While describing courses corresponding With those taken by the car Will additionally subject the passengers or occupants of the baskets to the action of centrifugal force when the car is rotated.

In order to augment frictional engagement of the Wheel .20 with the inner face of the rail 18, I provide the Wheel with an annular fiber body 20a, arranged in contact with said inner face at opposite sides of the teeth of said Wheel. I find that in addition to the'purpose of this construction to offer resistance between the Wheel and said rail, it also acts to materially silence the noise between the parts when the Wheel is revolved.

What is claimed as new is 1. An amusement apparatus comprising a ymetallic platform having a smooth uppersurface, a car mounted to travel on said surface, a cam surface on the car, and a driving shaft having means co-acting With the cam surface to cause the car to describe undefined radial courses on the smooth surface of the platform, said means of the driving shaft serving also to simultaneously rotate the car about said driving shaft.

2. An amusement apparatus comprising a car provided with a depending rail having a rack surface, a toothed'driving Wheel in contact with said rack surface, and mechanism for yieldingly maintaining confinement of said Wheel with said racl-r surface.

3. An amusement apparatus comprising a wheeled car, a radially yieldable driving shaft, a fixed rail on the car, means carried by the driving shaft arranged in traveling contact with one surface of the rail, and mechanism for maintaining operative confinement of the rail against said means.

4. An amusement apparatus comprising a Wheeled car, a radially yieldable driving shaft, a fixed rail on the car, means carried by the drivinor shaft arranged in traveling contact with one surface of the rail, mechanism for maintaining operative confinement of the rail against said means, said mechanism comprising a horizontally yieldable idle Wheel freely contacting With said rail.

5. An amusement apparatus comprising a wheeled car, a rail fixed to the car, a driving Wheel in engagement with said rail and including a friction offering body adapted to contact with said rail, and means for holding the wheel in operative confinement with said rail.

G. An amusement apparatus comprising a movably mounted body provided with radial arms, baskets carried by said arms, a rail fixed to said body, and driving mechanism co-acting With the rail to respectively .impart gyrating and rotary movements to said body.

7. An amusement apparatus comprising a metallic platform having a smooth upper surface, a' car mounted to travel on said surface, a cam surface on the car, and driving mechanism at the center of the platform, said mechanism co-acting with the cam surface to cause the car to describe undefined radial courses on the smooth surface of the platform and around the vertical axis of the driving mechanism.

`In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature. f

ERVIN Gr. GOLLNER. 

